Camryn Manheim Law and Order exit explained: What happened to Lieutenant Dixon?

Change has once again come to Precinct 27 as Law & Order has indeed bid farewell to Camryn Manheim’s Lieutenant Kate Dixon, who has been a key part of the series since NBC brought it back in 2022. 

When NBC brought Law & Order back for season 21, Manheim was tapped to play the pivotal role of Lieutenant Dixon, the commanding officer at Manhattan’s North Homicide Squad in the 27th Precinct. Coming into the role, Manheim had big shoes to fill in replacing S. Epatha Merkerson’s Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, who had headed the precinct for nearly 400 episodes of the series during its initial run on NBC from 1991 - 2010, but she quickly won over the viewers with her portrayal of Lieutenant Dixon.

Fans expected that Manheim would remain a mainstay on the show for years to come similar to how Merkerson was a mainstay on the show during its original run; however, NBC announced her departure from the show in May 2024 ahead of the show’s season 23 finale. 

Interestingly, news of her departure came ahead of the finale but her exit did not unfold in the episode and instead was addressed in the season 24 premiere. 

Why did Camryn Manheim leave Law & Order? 

Although unconfirmed by NBC, Manheim’s exit from the series seems to be the result of a creative decision made by the writers and was not driven by Manheim’s desire to walk away from the show. 

This is sadly a common practice in television and particularly on Wolf Entertainment series as there have been many fan-favorite characters who have been written out of series due to creative reasons with the shows’ writers feeling that characters’ arcs had come to natural conclusions or out of a desire to take a character in the direction which prompted their departure due to an on-screen death or storyline that prevented their character from remaining on the job. 

In Manheim’s instance, though, it seems that budgetary reasons might have also factored into the decision as The Hollywood Reported alluded to her departure being connected as broadcast series come “under increasing pressure to lower budgets” due to declines in linear viewership totals. 

Whatever the exact reason, Wolf Entertainment head Dick Wolf had nothing but kind things to say about Manheim in confirming her exit in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter

“I thank Camryn for her three wonderful seasons helping us relaunch Law & Order. She is a class act and I wish her nothing but the best for her next chapter,” Wolf said in a statement to the trade. 

What happened to Lieutenant Dixon on Law and Order?

In the season 24 premiere of Law & Order, Detective Shaw and Detective Riley responded to a homicide and were surprised by the arrival of Jessica  Brady at their crime scene… and that shock was amplified by the revelation that this cop who just crashed their crime scene was their new lieutenant. 

When they pressed Lieutenant Brady about the whereabouts of Dixon, Brady was adamant she had no idea where she was. Both Shaw and Riley tried to get a hold of her, but her phone just went to voicemail and no one seemed to have a clear explanation for where she went. 

It seemed like her disappearance was going to be a storyline perhaps explored across the season. Instead, we eventually learned that she had moved to Florida to be with her son after he got a job at a school in the state. This reveal came via a text sent to Riley and seems to be designed to explain away her exit while leaving the door open for her possible return.

“Patrick got a great job at a school in Miami. Mom is tagging along. Didn’t want to make a big to-do about it, tears and all that. Come visit," read the text sent to Riley, a text that quickly explained away her exit in the most uneventful of ways.

Camryn Manheim says her time on Law & Order was an ‘incredible experience’

While we’d have loved to have seen Manheim remain on the show for years to come and her exit was rather abrupt to fans, it seems there is no bad blood between her and the show as she had nothing but positive things to say about her time playing Lieutenant Dixon on Law & Order. 

Following the official announcement from NBC regarding her exit, Manheim took to Instagram to release an official statement regarding her exit in which she celebrated her costars and called her time on the series an “incredible experience.” 

“I had the most incredible experience being a part of the Law & Order Universe, and more importantly the Wolfpack. I’m so thankful for the three wonderful seasons that I spent with this wildly talented cast of merry pranksters. Mehcad Brooks, Reid Scott, Connie Shi, Anthony Anderson, Jeffrey Donovan, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, Tony Goldwyn and Sam Waterston. Not to mention the stellar guest stars that came in and out of the studio doors,” Manheim wrote. 

“I loved showing up for work each and every day, loved keeping the boys in line at Precinct 27, and most importantly, loved spending time with the most hard-working, professional and kindhearted crew. They are truly New York’s finest,” she continued adding, “Something wonderful awaits me around the corner, and I can’t wait to see what it is. Until then… Go Knicks!” 

It’s clear that Manheim left on good terms which does give fans hope that she might someday return to the show. We just don’t expect she’ll be back anytime soon given the circumstances surrounding her departure. 

Maura Tierney is replacing Camryn Manheim as Law & Order’s new lieutenant

Following the exit of Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Dixon after three seasons on Law & Order, NBC has cast ER actress Maura Tierney as the show’s new lieutenant. 

Heading into the new season, details about her character were kept under wraps but several reports confirmed she would be taking over for Manheim. In the season premiere, we learned that Tierney was playing Lt. Jessica Brady and it was quickly confirmed early in the episode that she was indeed taking over as the new lieutenant.

She joins a returning cast that includes Tony Goldwyn as DA Nicholas Baxter, Hugh Dancy as senior prosecutorial assistant Nolan Price, Oldelya Halevi as ADA Samantha Maroun, Mehcad Brooks as Det. Jalen Shaw, and Reid Scott as Det. Vincent Riley.